
WHAT’S THE BUZZ Bees being busy is beautiful, says Judy Wyper P.6
WHAT’S THE BUZZ Bees being busy is beautiful, says Judy Wyper P.6
SEASON ALL Youth soccer kids end their first season on a high note P.8
By John McDonalD Staff RepoRteR
If Laurie Koss is an example of what a local artist can become, then a visit to the Peachland Art Gallery for the 12th annual OASIS Okanagan art show will be well worth it.
Her award-winning painting “Dahlia 12” is a mesmerizing study in three dimensions of a huge flower that quickly pulls in the viewer, similar to Koss herself when she talks, bubbling over about her work and life as a professional artist and published author. An admitted over-achiever, Koss began painting professionally 20 yrs ago after a sudden life-changing illness that at one point left her bedridden, deaf in one ear and suffering from extreme vertigo.
ABOUT TOWN Find out what’s going on and where it’s happening P.11
“My family saw me happy and healthy in the morning and came home to an invalid,” she recalls. “I didn’t know if it was the beginning of the end of my life and I made a promise to
myself if I recovered that I would go back to painting full-time.” Even with a double major in art and creative writing
…is delivered free of charge to every home, every business, every week.
• Peachland Community Newspaper Society
5878C Beach Avenue, Peachland, B.C. V0H 1X7
250 859 4295
• Board of Directors
President Keith Fielding
Treasurer Ted Cave
Director Geoff Trafford
Director Donna Cave
Director Ted Black
• Managing Editor
John McDonald
250 859 2429
• Advertising Sales
Alan Monk
250 212 4888
• Website
Alex Morrison
Visit peachlandpost.org
• We respectfully acknowledge our society operates on the traditional territory of the Syilx/Okanagan People.
• Peachland Post gratefully acknowledges office space provided by Brenda Renewables.
The recent watershed cleanup in the hills behind Peachland collected tonnes of garbage, say organizers, who were happy with the results.
“It was a great success,” said Sheila Kerr, with the Okanagan Forest Task Force. “We filled two 40-yard bins and had to begin another pile of garbage on the ground because we were out of space in the bin.”
Kerr said volunteers collected and weighed just shy of nine tonnes of garbage – 17,637 lbs to be precises – and another 14,900 lbs of metals with more still left to be counted, including an abandoned motor home.
“We will be bringing in another bin to accommodate it, and there’s still lots of garbage to bring down the mountain,” Kerr said.
While the cleanup was successful, apparently not everyone was happy with their efforts, Kerr added, after she put out a fire left smoldering by what she termed
“day users.”
“The next day, someone had intentionally taken a significant amount of nails from our metal pile and scattered them all along the driving area through the staging site, requiring additional volunteer hours to clean,” she said.
poSt Staff
By John McDonalD Staff RepoRteR
A local man is calling out realtors and anyone else who place signs blocking visibility on highway access roads.
John Wardley says the residents of the mobile home community on Hwy. 97 near Antlers Beach recently found a For Sale sign blocking their view as they attempted to make turns onto the highway.
Wardley said the park is for residents over 55, with some well into their 80s. He recently counted five real estate signs on the corner of the access road.
“The only other alternative exit is Hardy Falls, which has already had a traffic fatality,” he said.
Wardley said he contacted District of Peachland bylaw officers and the worst of the signs were soon gone, although he’s not sure if his call was the reason.
Still, he had harsh words for realtors whose signs block the view of motorists.
“They’re realtors who just want their sign up with no consideration to the dangerous conditions they have created for seniors,” he said. “This is a stupid act by people who don’t care.”
The District of Peachland regulates all signs on public and private property through the Sign Bylaw
2158, which contains a sub-section 15.8 specifically dealing with temporary real estate signs advertising properties for sale or lease.
Real estate signs must not exceed three square metres in area and 2.5 metres in height and must be removed with one week of a sale or if the subject property is taken off the market. While real estate signs are allowed in residential and rural zones, the sub-section makes no mention of signs along the highway.
However, a different sub-section of the bylaw, 15.7, which deals with portable signs, states that a “portable sign shall not obscure the
line of vision from a highway, access road or sidewalk to on-coming traffic.”
The line of vision is defined by the sight triangle specified in the District of Peachland Zoning Bylaw, subsection 5.28, which forbids the placement of shrubs, trees, fences or any other structure within them. However, the bylaw gives over jurisdiction of sight triangles at the intersection of arterial highways to the jurisdiction of the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The District of Peachland bylaw office could not be immediately reached for comment. ••
Okanagan College has announced that students enrolled in 25 programs are eligible in 2025 for a provincial StrongerBC grant of up to $3,500.
College president Neil Fassina, in a media release, said the programs include health care, skilled trades, business, technology and community support services. They include both micro-credential and certificate programs and are based on the most recent B.C. Labour Market Outlook.
“There will be more than one million job openings in our province over the next 10 years, and almost 80 per cent of those jobs will require post-secondary credentials or training,” Fassina said.
The grant was launched in 2023 by the provincial government and is available to B.C. residents aged 19 and over. It can be applied to courses taught online, on campus or hybrid. The college has campuses in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Salmon Arm.
For information on which courses are eligible and how to apply go to okanagan.bc.ca/future-skills-grant.
poSt Staff
The following is a message from B.C. Premier David Eby sent to the media on Canada Day.
Today, millions of people across our vast, beautiful land – from Bonavista to Vancouver Island, from the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes waters – are celebrating Canada Day.
People will gather to enjoy food and fireworks, as well as parties and parades.
This is a wonderful time for communities to gather and celebrate our peaceful and democratic country.
This Canada Day is unlike any other in recent memory, as we face unprecedented economic and political threats.
Those dangers have sharpened our appreciation for what we have accomplished in building
the Canada we love, including such monumental achievements as a public health-care system. To be Canadian is to be proud of the way we take care of each other.
The challenges we face in improving our country are many. We do so confident that we will find solutions by working together. Even as we debate our differences with vigour, we keep in mind far more unites us than divides us.
The Canada of today is the result of a long history of compromise and negotiation, reflecting the Canadian values of fairness, generosity and humility.
We should be proud of the role Canada has played in the world. We have answered the call to combat tyranny, and have also been ardent peacekeepers in troubled lands.
We have welcomed waves
“ The Canada of today is the result of a long history of compromise and negotiation
Premier David Eby “
of newcomers throughout our history, and we are proud today to be able to offer sanctuary to people from war-torn countries who seek peace and security.
The pride we feel for our country does not mean we ignore our own troubled and complicated history.
Canada Day offers an opportunity for reflection on the impact of colonialism on gen-
erations of Indigenous Peoples. Our government is dedicated to addressing these matters in a spirit of reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
The work of building a better Canada is never done, as nation building is an assignment without end.
We will always seek to make a country that in every way is more peaceful, more prosperous and more democratic for ourselves, our families, our neighbours, our communities and for all who call this land home.
An important part of that is our desire in British Columbia to build an economy that works for everyone.
Let’s take the opportunity this Canada Day to remind ourselves of what we have accomplished together. Happy Canada Day!”
The man credited with shooting down the Red Baron has a Peachland connection
Here’s another Peachland connection to a famous person.
In World War One, a Canadian fighter pilot by the name of Roy Brown was officially credited with shooting down the Red Baron, Manfred Von Richthofen.
(That claim has been disputed. Some historians, doctors, and ballistics experts believe Richthofen was likely killed by a machine gunner firing from the ground.)
Until recently, Roy Brown’s niece lived on Victoria Road in Peachland.
Roy Brown started a bush airline in the 1930s and died in 1944 at age 50.
Peachland councillors deserve a round of applause for giving the food bank extra rations
Here’s a shout-out to Peachland mayor and council who last week gave the Peachland Food Bank a civic grant 600 per cent more than the non-profit had asked for.
Instead of $1,000, councillors decided instead to give the charity that runs the food bank $6,000 towards its operations.
The charity had made the cheeky suggestion in its application for the civic grant, which are awarded each year at the discretion of councillors.
No doubt, the volunteers who wrote up the grant application were surprised when their suggestion was made real.
While the $5,000 gift amounts to a mere rounding error for the district, it still takes political courage in a year when property taxes are increasing by almost seven per cent.
There are certainly some Peachlanders who will grumble at this social service largesse, but as Mayor Patrick Van Minsel noted, there are at least 300 Peachanders who must supplement their incomes with donations from the food bank.
Sadly, that’s a number that’s unlikely to go down. ••
We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on appropriate subjects. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity and legality.
Keep your submissions under 150 words and they are more likely to be published. Send your submissions to editor@peachlandpost.org
If time passes and realize that you haven’t heard recently from a relative or a friend, you may start a kind of self interrogation.
Did they get my last email or letter? Have I offended them? Are they ailing? Am I being ghosted? The questions go on and on.
Well, sometimes that’s how it feels at the Peachland Post when we don’t receive letters to the editor!
An important element in the success of any community newspaper is the degree to which it stimulates discussion and debate about community affairs - social, political, economic, environmental, cultural or matters that are just plain annoying!
We do know that there are things that we can all agree on: our love of Peachland for example, and our pride in being Canadian (just look at the turnout
KEITH FIELDING
for the wonderful Canada Day celebrations on Tuesday) but what about the things we are bothered by or disagree about?
Some might say that airing our concerns and opinions in public is rude, or self indulgent, or serves only to ‘stir the pot’.
However, we respectfully disagree: pots need to be stirred, our beefs need to be shared, and our ideas for change need to be voiced. Otherwise we lose the opportunity
to see if our concerns resonate with others, and if they do, possibly to promote positive change.
So, readers, let’s hear from you! Keep your letters to 100-150 words and tell us what is on your mind.
We can’t guarantee that your letter will be published but we will do our best. Our editor reserves the right to edit it for clarity or length, but not to change its meaning or intent.
If you are inspired to share with us your thoughts, ideas, or opinions with a ‘Dear editor’ letter, please send it by email to editor@peachlandpost.org or deliver it to our office at the TNI Business Centre on Beach Avenue. We look forward to hearing from you!
Keith Fielding is a former Peachland mayor and president of the Peachland Community Newspaper Society.
Iwas doing a bit of weeding the other day. When I got close to the hedge, I heard and saw honey bees and bumble bees of various sizes and colours.
The flowers are small but these pollinators find them every year. The resulting flowers produce blue-purple berries that birds feed on all winter.
Ah, the birds and the bees. Pollen is produced by the male part of a flower, pollinators come along for nectar and pollen, and move the pollen elsewhere. Sometimes it ends up fertilizing a female part of a flower, producing fruit, berries, seeds.
Pollination is also accomplished by wind or self-pollination.
Most of it is done by bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps, birds, bats, small mammals, hummingbirds, certain bats, and some species of birds.
It’s the colour, smell, size,
and shape of the flowers that attract the pollinators.
Native plants have evolved along with the native pollinators. In any area, different wildflowers and insects are suited and beneficial to each other.
The monarch butterfly will only lay its eggs on leaves of a milkweed plant. The caterpillars hatch out and the leaves are their food source.
They contain a poison called cardiac glycoside, which makes the caterpillars and adults toxic to predators.
The adults feed on milkweed nectar and do a bit of pollinating along the way, ensuring the future of the plants.
This is an example of mutualism, where each species benefits the other.
Pollinators are responsible for the growth of food crops and natural habitats. They contribute to food webs and nutrient cycles.
A 2023 report said that pollinators generate an annual income of nearly $2.8 billion for Canadian farmers.
Despite all that, pollinators are under threat by habitat loss due to urbanization, agriculture, pathogens, parasites, and deforestation.
Pesticides and herbicides are toxic to pollinators. Climate change alters where plants grow, and the timing of flowering.
We ordinary citizens can help by choosing flowering plants that are diverse in colours and shapes. Include native species, like yarrow. Plant them in clumps to reduce the distance the pollinators need to move when foraging.
Select plants that flower at different times through the growing season and provide shallow water baths for drinking. Plant flowering trees, like the maple. Each year our maple is marvelously a-buzz with hundreds of insects.
Pollinator-friendly plants are lavender, Russian sage, gaillardia, mock orange, catmint, and bee balm.
Wildflower meadows and
hedgerows provide food and shelter for pollinators. Natural wild areas sustain biodiversity and help pollinators survive. Which reminds me of my gang of free rang kids, back in the ‘50s, six- and seven-yearolds, in the buttercup field. Armed with Mason jars with nail holes in the lids, we were successful bee catchers. At night “the fairies” came and released them. Thanks, Mom.
Judy Wyper is involved with the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, First Things First, Seniors for Climate, and the South Okanagan Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
OASIS FROM PAGE 1
and an unswerving ambition to be an artist since she was a child, Koss said she had somehow let life get in the way.
“From when I first picked up a crayon at four or five, I kept saying I always wanted to be an artist,” Koss adds.
From that low point, Koss has gone on to become an award-winning signature member of the local chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists, with numerous accolades including the selection by Canada Post of two of her paintings for the 2015 Floral Series of postage stamps.
Her depictions of a purple icicle pansy and a blue pansy then led to a commission from the Royal Canadian Mint to rework one of her floral designs, that of a black-eyed Susan, onto a silver coin in the Dewdrop series.
“That’s when I got a tiny glimpse of what it’s like to be famous,” recalls Koss. “For a while, I couldn’t go anywhere without people saying ‘you’re the stamp lady or the pansy lady’. I signed a lot of autographs.”
Her latest project is sure to keep her in the public eye: she is in the midst of digitally designing 40 Canadian National Parks travel stamps.
With such a glittering resume, it’s easy to gloss over the fact that Koss is also a published author with a much-admired book of short stories.
It’s also easy to wonder out loud why she chose to enter some of her work in the OASIS Okanagan art show, a Federation of Canadian Artists competition at the Peachland Art Gallery.
Koss recently pulled her work from private galleries throughout B.C. and Alberta and set up her own home gallery in Kelowna, where she says sales have been
brisk. She made a now-rare exception for the OASIS show, submitting two pieces, both dahlias.
“A group show like that throughout the summer months with all the tourists going through there can get you excellent exposure,” she explains. “I know it’s not a big-name gallery but it’s in a beautiful heritage building and it’s got a lot going for it.”
Her decision to pull back from private galleries is complicated, Koss says, but stems in part from the cut throat competition fostered in the last 20 years by the Internet, which she says has led to galleries dropping their standards simply trying to survive.
“I hate to say it but (the Internet) is making galleries redundant,” she says, pausing to consider her words. “It’s a tough business and the competition has led to a new type of gallery owner without the level of expertise
trying to compete with mass produced products. People go in thinking that if they see it hanging in a gallery, it must be excellent quality instead of something that can be bought at HomeSense.”
Koss has nothing but praise for the Federation of Canadian Artists and its tiered rankings which gives legitimacy to member artists.
While anyone can sign on as a supporting member, would-be artists must earn their way up the rankings through exhibitions and competitions such as the OASIS show where her Dahlia 12, an acrylic on canvas, took first place.
Koss’ past and current successes has her ranked now as a signature member of the federation, the top rank that also requires her to mentor other aspiring artists, giving them both encouragement and constructive criticism, “honest but nice,” as she terms it.
The 38 artists displaying their
work in the OASIS show are all federation members, a requirement for entering the competition that guarantees you won’t be seeing any velvet Elvis paintings.
Koss struggles with the answer to a question she often gets about her paintings; how long did it take to produce her award-winning entry?
“My mother, who was also an artist, told me to say 20 years if anyone ever asks,” she laughs. “I did eight years of post-secondary study, plus all the years of learning, practicing, and other obstacles. I guess if I really thought about it, I would say 20 to 30 hours.”
The 12th annual OASIS Okanagan art show runs until Aug. 4 and features 72 pieces in all mediums. The show is open to the public by donation at the Peachland Art Gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays. ••
The Okanagan youth spring soccer season, from mid April to late June, ended last weekend for the 65 Peachland boys and girls registered on four Peachland youth teams
If anyone’s counting, all four Peachland teams had winning seasons, with one team, the Peachland youth girls (ages 9 to 10 ) under coach Tristin Ahern, going undefeated for the second season in a row.
Peachland had a record number of children enrolled in soccer in this our 3rd year, going from 22 registered in 2023, to 31 in 2024 to 65 this year, 2025.
And unlike most youth soccer clubs, Peachland has virtually the same number of girls playing soccer as boys.
Complementing Peachland league youth soccer, we also
offer Introductory soccer programs in our community centre four times per week, plus we coordinate noon hour soccer at Peachland elementary school twice a week, Wednesdays for girls, Friday for boys. All of which fosters a love for the game.
Counting the 65 young children in league soccer and the even younger 20 children in introducto-
ry soccer programs in Peachland, we had a total of 85 children playing and learning soccer this Spring, which is equivalent to one half of the 170 children enrolled in Peachland elementary school.
The Penticton Pinnacles donated two eight- aside soccer goals to Peachland this Spring and, thanks to that, we had the first home game in 25 years in any team sport for a Peachland youth team in early June.
As a microcosm of young soccer in this small Okanagan town, coach Ahern’s Peachland girls ended up tying Peachland’s first home soccer game in the last minute against Summerland. Then both teams got together for joint team photos, to commemorate the first home game.
Coach Ahern treated all the girls on the team to ice cream at Ships Ahoy downtown. And then, the owner of Ships Ahoy, finding out it was the Peachland girls soccer team, immediately gave Tristin a discount for the ice cream.
It takes a village, and this is a good one.
In terms of playing policy, we faced the same situation this spring that all smaller communities face. We didn’t have quite enough players in the six to eight-year-old category for both our girls and boys mini teams,
but we did have a large group of five-year-old Peachland boys and girls who wanted to play up, a year ahead. The parents and league were okay with it, but like any coach, we had some sleepless nights before the mini team’s first games, wondering if we’d put the younger kids in over their heads.
Fortunately, that never happened and both the mini girls under coach Mark Wilson and Armando Rojas and the mini boys under Ryan Onyschuk and Ali Bani Sadr had great seasons.
And one young Peachland girl, six-year-old Sawyer Christianson, capped off her first mini soccer game by scoring a record 14 goals in one game.
The practices at Cousins Park this season, on Tuesdays for girls and Wednesdays for boys, attracted children parents and grandparents, the latter bringing folding chairs to watch, making it a popular weekly social event.
Turner Park, originally planned to open June 14, has been delayed until the childrens playground is completed, with the new opening slated for September 5.
Turners opening will add both another baseball field plus Peachland’s first adult sized soccer field.
Randey Brophy has coached youth soccer and baseball for 32 years.
Reservations or registration may be required for some activities or events. Please contact the phone number or website provided for more details.
SATURDAY
PEACHLAND MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTRE
250-767-3441
Open Daily10-6 PM
Train exhibit operating PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
250-767-2133
Closed OUR SPACE
250-212-0211
Sat. July 12
Storytelling contest cash prze
registration 5:30
Yellow schoolhouse
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL okfolkschool.ca
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
250-767-7422
12th annual OASIS
38 Okanagan artists
50 PLUS CENTRE
250-767-9133
Carpet Bowling 9:30-12 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
250-767-9404
Meat Draw & 50-50 Draw 3-5 PM
Everyone Welcome
SUNDAY
OUR SPACE
250-767-7422
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
250-767-7422
12th annual OASIS
38 Okanagan artists
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL okfolkschool.ca
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Adult Learn to swim and swim 10-11 AM
Visit www.peachland.ca/swim-bay
Times vary based on skill
Regarding swim lessons
Call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Events listings are free to non-profit and community groups. Submit by Friday, 3 p.m. for publication the following Friday at info@peachlandpost.org
MONDAY
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Swimming Lessons Monday to Friday
Preschool 1 - 5 12 -12:30 PM
Swimmer 1 11:30 - 12 PM
Swimmer 2/3 11 - 11:30 AM
Swimmer 4 10:30 - 11 AM
Swimmer 5 10 - 10:30 AM
Rookie Patrol 10 - 11 AM
Visit www.peachland.ca/swim-bay
Or call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Regarding Swim Lessons
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Pickleball all play drop in 4:30-6:30 PM
Spin, Core & Stretch 6:30-7:30 PM
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
okfolkschool.ca
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Bereavement group 1:30-3PM
50 PLUS CENTRE
250-767-9133
50 plus fitness 9-10 AM
We Art Here 12 PM (on hold)
Bridge 1-3:30 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-8:30 PM
TUESDAY
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Swim Lessons
call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Flow yoga 9-10 AM
Remedy yoga (level 2) 10:30-11:45AM
Movement and Dance 9-945 AM
Intro to Ballet 10-10:45 AM
Beginner Ballet 11-11:55 AM
Pickleball all play drop in 11-1 PM
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
okfolkschool.ca
50 PLUS CENTRE
Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM
Carpet Bowling 9:30-12 PM
Fellowship (AA) 12-1 PM
Mahjong 1-4 PM
Passion 4 Art 1-4 PM
Line Dancing 4:30-5:30 PM
Cloggers 6-6:45 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Euchre 2 PM
Drop in Darts 7 PM
WEDNESDAY
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Swim Lessons
call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Pickleball All Play 12:30-2:30PM
($5.25 Drop-In)
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
250-767-7422
12th annual OASIS
38 Okanagan artists
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
okfolkschool.ca
50 PLUS CENTRE
50+ fitness 9-10 AM
Chair Yoga 10:30-11:30 AM
Bridge 1:00-3:30 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-8:30 PM
THURSDAY
50 PLUS CENTRE
Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM
Art in Peachland 9:30-2:30 PM
Iron & Silk 11 AM
Ukulele 1-2:30 PM
Bingo 5:30
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
250-767-7422
12th annual OASIS
38 Okanagan artists
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Swim Lessons
call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Movement and dance 9-945 AM intro to ballet 10-10:45 AM
Jazz 11-11:55 AM
Pickleball All Play 11-1PM
Pickleball 3.5+ 1:30-3:30
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL okfolkschool.ca
PEACHLAND LEGION
Meat draw & 50-50 3-5 PM
Everyone Welcome
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE Adult day service 9 AM
FRIDAY
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY 250-767-7422
12th annual OASIS
38 Okanagan artists
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE Swim Lessons call 250-767-2133 ext. 1
Indoor Walking 8–9 AM
Flow Yoga 9–10 AM
Remedy Yoga (Level 1) 10:30-11:45 AM
Creative play time 9:30 12:30 PM
Pickleball All Play 12:30-2:30 PM
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL okfolkschool.ca
50 PLUS CENTRE
50+ Fitness 9-10 AM
Chair yoga 10:30-11:30 AM
Canasta 1-4 PM
Knitting 1-3 PM
For information on more programs at Peachland Community Centre search on-line at peachland.ca/recguide. For additional information re: Pickleball lessons and games, contact Zoe at 250-767-2133.